Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Goblin Slayer: Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

A sub-par anime series with a muddled concept.

Goblin Slayer: Season 1 is an action-packed anime series with an abundance of goblin slaying for fans of darker and grittier anime productions. The series comes from creator Kumo Kagyu. Produced by Mitsutoshi Ogura, Noritomo Isogai, Noriyuki Akita, Satoshi Fukao, Tsuyoshi Aida, Yôhei Kikuchi, and Yuichi Izumi, Goblin Slayer: Season 1 features animation production by WHITE FOX (Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, The Devil Is a Part-Timer!) and the dark style of the story is what makes it distinctive within the genre.

Priestess (Yui Ogura) finds herself in a dangerous situation – she is being attacked from villainous goblins who are on the prowl. Out of the darkness, an iron-clad warrior comes out of the shadows: the one and only Goblin Slayer (Yuichiro Umehara). Wielding fire, the Goblin Slayer won’t allow for the goblins to simply get away. The slaughtering begins. Can Priestess and the Goblin Slayer take out more of the goblins in their way?

The characterizations don’t seem as interesting as one might hope to find for an action-anime series. The lead protagonist seems somewhat wooden: the Goblin Slayer exudes confidence but isn’t quite compelling enough. Priestess is a more compelling character but even so there seems to be little characterization depth. The results could be better.

The animation is excellent. Under the chief animation direction of Takashi Nagayoshi (Chihayafuru, The Future Diary), Goblin Slayer: Season 1 is a nice looking series with a good production aesthetic. The animation fits the material well. The original character designs by Noboru Kannatsuki work well. Adapting these designs, Takashi Nagayoshi (Goblin Slayer: Goblin's Crown) also contributes to showcasing the characters and their style.

Time to slay.

The cinematography by Kentarō Minegishi (Is the order a rabbit?, Re:ZERO – Starting Life in Another World) provides the production with a dark aesthetic. The visuals are often grim and bleak but that certainly seems to be the goal of the cinematographer: highlighting the goblin world and all of its grimmer realities (within the fantastical context of the series).

The score composed by Kenichiro Suehiro (Fire Force, Girls' Last Tour) adds some excitement to the series. Composer Suehiro is a quality composer with some good series under their belt. This is yet another example of a quality effort from Suehiro. The music provides the action with some more intensity.

Written by Hideyuki Kurata (Made in Abyss, Bamboo Blade), Goblin Slayer: Season 1 isn’t as compelling as it thinks it is. The series is over-the-top and frustrating at times. The writing certainly doesn’t feel thoughtful or intelligent. The screenwriting could have been far better for the series. Though the production has an okay concept it leaves a lot to be desired.

Directed by Takaharu Ozaki (Goblin Slayer: Goblin's Crown, Girls' Last Tour), Goblin Slayer: Season 1 is certainly an underwhelming series. The concept of the series was interesting. However, Ozaki may have been the wrong choice for the production. The production could have been better with a different vision for the story.

Goblin Slayer: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation, Goblin Slayer: Season 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The video is exceptional. The picture-quality capably presents the action-anime series. The encoding looks wonderfully detailed. Color reproduction is impressive and works nicely with the dark style of cinematography.

Goblin Slayer: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio on the release is worthwhile and capably preserves the soundstage. Dialogue is clear and detailed. The score is integrated well in to the mix.

Goblin Slayer: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Goblin Slayer: Tabletop Talk (HD, 20:04)

Episode 11 Audio Commentary

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:32)

Goblin Slayer: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Goblin Slayer: Season 1 is an underwhelming anime series. The production has impressive animation and character designs. The series also has a quality score composed by Kenichiro Suehiro (Fire Force) which enhances the action sequences. The Blu-ray release features a quality video encode and a solid audio presentation. The release also comes with a small but noteworthy supplemental package (including Goblin Slayer: Tabletop Talk). Unfortunately, Goblin Slayer simply isn't much to write home about.